Box for storing and simultaneously exposing small goods

ABSTRACT

A box for storing and simultaneously exposing small goods comprises a wall shell (3) opening upwards composed of a number of upright walls (4, 5) and a plate (7) being vertically adjustable between upper and lower end positions to support the goods. A second, inner wall shell (9) is arranged at a distance inside said wall shell (3) said second wall shell (9) presenting upper, supporting edge portions located in the area of the top opening (29) of the outer wall shell (3). Fabrics (21) are arranged for lifting and level-keeping of the supporting plate (7), each of which fabric being laid over an upper edge portion of the inner wall shell (9) and has a first part extending between said edge portion and the supporting plate as well as a second part extending between the edge portion and a driving mechanism in the form of a roll (20) in relation to which the fabric may be fed in and out respectively.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a box for storing and simultaneous exposingsmall goods, said box comprising a wall shell which opens upwards in atop opening and is composed of a number of upright walls extendingupwards from a bottom frame, and a goods-supporting plate beingvertically adjustable between upper and lower end positions relative tothe wall shell.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND PRIOR ART

So called pallet boxes are used within a number of areas for storingsmall goods or mass articles of different kinds. One field of use is tobe found in manufacturing industries, where various components arestored in pallet boxes either after having been produced in the industryin question or before mounting as integrated units in larger products.In everyday consumer goods retail trade, pallet boxes are used forstoring sales objects in an exposed state. In this case, the customermay, after removal of a covering lid, pick the objects directly from thebox, meaning that the staff of the sales company does not need to spendcostly time to put up the objects on special shelves or racks.

Irrespective of the field of use, pallet boxes are in many respectsadvantageous as containers for storing mass articles. An advantage isthat they are of a good volume (in practice within the range of 1/2-2m³) which admits the storing of large quantities of goods. Anotheradvantage is that they may be lifted and transported by means ofmotor-driven fork trucks as well as manually driven pallet lifters of amore simple nature. However, a disadvantage of known pallet boxes isthat the goods-supporting bottom plate of the box is fixed or immovablyconnected to the wall shell. This implies that the level of thegoods--from lying in flush with the top opening of the box in theinitially filled box--sinks as the goods is consumed and the boxemptied. Since the wall shell has a considerable height--usually about 1m--increasing difficulties to reach the individual objects occursuccessively. In consumer goods retail trade, the result of this will bethat the sales frequency is radically deteriorated so as to go towardsnought before the box is completely emptied. Therefore, to maintain goodsales, the box has to be filled with more goods or, alternatively, thesemi-emptied box in its entirety is to be replaced by a filled box. Whenpallet boxes are used in the manufacturing industry for storing partcomponents which are to be mounted by an operator, the sinking level ofgoods implies that the operator is forced to bend, in an ergonomicallyinappropriate way, deeper and deeper down over the walls of the box toreach down to the components.

The problem with deteriorated sales as a consequence of a sinking levelof goods in storing boxes has been observed in NO 24335, which disclosesa box of the kind initially generally referred to, more precisely in theform of a smaller metal box for storing and simultaneously exposing suchsmall food articles as cookies, biscuits, sweets and the like. In orderto solve the problem, this box is equipped with a goods-supporting metalsheet which can be manually lifted up to higher and higher levelsrelative to the surrounding wall shell as the contents of the box isconsumed. The lifting is done by means of two metal lugs protrudingthrough elongate holes in opposite walls in the wall shell and whichlugs have projections by means of which the supporting sheet may belocked in a desired level of position in relation to the wall shell.

The solution of the problem known through NO 24335 may perhaps berealized for those boxes having a limited volume and which accordinglymay take up goods the total weight of which is moderate. However, thesolution of the problem is not applicable to pallet boxes, the volume ofwhich may attain 1 m³ or more and which may contain goods having a totalweight of many hundreds of kilos.

OBJECTS AND FEATURES OF THE INVENTION

A primary object of the present invention is to create a box of the kindinitially referred to, which may receive goods of a considerable totalweight at the same time as the vertically adjustable bottomplate--despite the heavy contents of the box--may be moved in a simpleand flexible way between different position levels inside the wall shellas the quantity of the goods is changed. Another object is to create abox which may be made as a pallet box the exterior of which do notdiffer in an evident way from conventional pallet boxes in spite of thepossibility to raise or lower the supporting plate. An important objectis furthermore to create a box in which the movable supporting plate maybe lifted and lowered respectively without running the risk of thearticles stored in the box being scratched or in another way damaged bycoming in friction contact with the surrounding wall shell.

According to the invention, at least the primary object is attained bythe features defined in the characterising clause of claim 1. Preferredembodiments of the invention are furthermore defined in the dependentclaims.

FURTHER ELUCIDATION OF PRIOR ART

A mobile box for storing milk packs in a heat-insulated condition ispreviously known through U.S. Pat. No. 3,269,589. A vertically movabletrough on which milk crates may be loaded is arranged in the box.However, this box is not suitable for rush-storing mass articles butpresupposes that the articles are piled in crates. In addition to this,the mechanism for lifting and lowering the goods-supporting trough isextremely complicated and costly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE APPENDED DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective exploded view showing a first embodiment of thebox according to the invention together with the appurtenant lid,

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing only the box itself, more preciselywith the supporting plate in a lower end position,

FIG. 3 is a corresponding perspective view showing the supporting platein the area of an upper end position,

FIG. 4 is a perspective exploded view showing an outer wall shellincluded in the box separated from an inner wall shell,

FIG. 5 is an enlarged detail section in the area of the upper edges ofthe outer and the inner wall shells,

FIG. 6 is an enlarged detail section showing a fabric included in thebox, said fabric being winded up on a roll,

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing two foldable boxes according to analternative embodiment, the boxes being piled on each other in aposition when four wall units are folded down relative to the bottomframe,

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a box with the supporting platelowered to the bottom of the box,

FIG. 9 is a partially cut longitudinal section showing the wall units ina folded down position,

FIG. 10 is a partly cut perspective view illustrating the fabricsincluded in the box which guarantee lifting and lowering of thesupporting plate,

FIG. 11 is four cross sections through as many wall units included inthe box according to FIG. 10,

FIG. 12 is a side view of an individual wall unit,

FIG. 13 is a partly cut end view illustrating parts of a gable wall unitof the box according to FIG. 10,

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of another alternative embodiment of thebox according to the invention, and

FIG. 15 is a partial end view of the box according to FIG. 14.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

In FIG. 1 reference numeral 1 generally designates a box made accordingto the invention on which a lid 2 may be put. The box has aparallelepipedical basic shape and comprises an outer wall shell 3composed of four upright walls 4, 5 of which the first-mentioned onesform long side walls and the last-mentioned ones gable walls. The wallshell 3 as well as the lid 2 may in practice advantageously be made ofplywood plates which, in a conventional way, are provided with fittingsof bended metal sheet. The box 1 may have of a length in the range of100-200 cm, a width in the range of 60-80 cm and a height of about 1meter. Thus, the volume of the box may be in the range of 0,6-1 m³. Abottom frame 6, having a pair of separated supporting elements 6' inassociation with the long side walls 4, is also included in the box. Thefork arms of a fork truck or a pallet lifter may be inserted betweensaid supporting elements.

A vertically movable supporting plate 7, which is shown in a lower endposition in FIG. 2 and in the area of an upper end position in FIG. 3,is included in the box. The plate 7 supports small goods or massarticles which in FIG. 1 are schematically illustrated in the form ofballs 8.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 4 to 6 illustrating how the box 1, apartfrom the outer wall shell 3, includes a second, inner wall shell 9. Theinner wall shell 9 includes, like the outer wall shell 3, four uprightwalls, viz, two long side walls 10 and two gable walls 11. The walls 10,11 are somewhat shorter than the corresponding walls in the outer shell,whereby a gap 12 (see FIG. 5) is formed between each outer wall and thecorresponding inner wall. Furthermore, the individual inner wall has asomewhat lower height than the corresponding outer wall, whereby theupper edge 13 of the outer wall is located on a somewhat higher levelthan the upper edge 14 of the inner wall. All four inner walls 10, 11are connected to a fixed bottom plate 15 included in the bottom frame 6.In practice, the walls 10, 11 as well as the bottom plate 15 may be madeof plywood plates. These together form a stiff inner frame.

A bottom portion in the form of a bended plate or metal sheet 16 which,besides a plane centre portion 17, has cross-section-wise U-shapedportions forming the above-mentioned supporting element 6', is appliedon the underside of the bottom plate 15. The U-portions 6' delimitchannel-like cavities 18, which are open towards the gap 12 between thewall shells 3 and 9. As is evident from FIG. 4 and 6, there is recesseda common hole 19 of a considerable size in the bottom plate 15 as wellas in the centre portion 17 of the plate 16.

A rotatably mounted roll 20 is placed in each one of the cavities 18 ofthe two supporting elements 6' inside of which roll at least oneelectric motor 15 (not shown) is mounted in a known way per se, by meansof which motor the roll may be driven. Motor driven rolls of this kindis commercially available for awning arrangements and the like. As isevident from FIG. 5 and 6, a fabric, in its entirety designated 21, isrolled outside the individual driving roll 20, which fabric is laid overthe upper edge portion 14 of the long side wall 10 of the inner wallshell. The upper edge portion 14 divides the fabric 21 in two verticalparts 21', 21". A sliding border 22 of plastics, e.g. NYLON or the like,may be applied on the upper edge of the wall 10 in order to reduce thefriction between the fabric and said wall. The internal fabric part 21'supports, at the free end thereof, the supporting plate 7. As is evidentfrom FIG. 5, the supporting plate 7 may be composed of two part plates7', 7" which are interconnected by means of screws 23. Advantageously,the fabric 21 is connected to the supporting plate by being squeezed inbetween the part plates 7' and 7". In practice, one single continuousfabric may be drawn between the two driving rolls (see FIG. 4) of thebox. Thus, this continuous fabric extends unbroken from one of thedriving rolls over the upper edge of the appurtenant inner wall 10 andthe whole way between the two part plates 7', 7" so as to be drawn, atthe opposite long side of the box, over the upper edge of the long sidewall and down to the appurtenant driving roll. It should be particularlynoted that the width of the fabric 21 in all essentials corresponds withthe length of the long side walls 10 included in the inner wall shell 9.

Fabrics 24, 24' are also laid over the gable walls 11 of the inner wallshell (also the fabrics 24, 24' may constitute parts of a continuousfabric path which is squeezed in between the part plats 7', 7"). Thefabrics 24, 24' are connected, at the free ends thereof, to a continuousframe 25 arranged around the outside of the inner wall shell. Moreprecisely, the short side pieces of the frame are inserted into pockets26 in the area of the free end portions 24, 24' of the fabrics. In acorresponding way, the long side pieces of the frame are sewed inpockets 26' in the fabric or the fabrics 21. This means that the frame25 servilely follows the movements of the fabric parts 21 decided by thedriving rolls 20 along the long side walls.

The channels 18 in the supporting elements 6' formed by the U-bendedplate 16 are closable by means of separate covering plates 27 (see FIG.4). An edge border 28 is mounted on the upper edge portion of the outerwall shell 3. The width of the horizontal flange of the border 28 is atleast so great that it covers the gap 12 between the two wall shells.The border 28 lies on a level with the top opening of the box which inFIG. 5 is designated 29.

THE FUNCTION OF THE BOX ACCORDING TO THE INVENTION

Presuming that the box is used for sales of the stored articles 8, thebox is delivered to the sales company in question in a filled state inwhich the supporting plate 7 assumes the lower end position thereofaccording to FIG. 2. After removal of the lid 2, the articles 8 may bepicked directly from the box by the customer, i.e. without the staff ofthe sales company first having to distribute the articles to shelves andracks. After a certain time of consumption, the upper level of thecontents of the box will sink. When that has happened, the motorsincluded in the rolls 20 are activated, the rolls being brought intorotation. This entails that the actively lifting fabrics 21 along thelong side walls of the box are stretched, the internal fabric part 21'being shortened at the same time as the external part 21" is winded upon the roll 20. This results in the supporting plate 7 being lifted. Bya suitably adjusted driving of the motors of the roll 20, the lifting ofthe supporting plate 7 may be matched so that the upper level for thecontents of articles 8 is located approximately in flush with the topopening 29 of the box. The appurtenant frame 25 guarantees that also thefabrics 24, 24' along the gable walls are properly stretched during saidlifting of the supporting plate by means of the fabric or the fabrics 21along the long side walls. During the same lifting movement, thearticles 8 being peripherally located will be in contact with thefabrics and not with the fixed walls 10, 11 of the inner wall shell.Thus, by the fact that all fabrics follow the supporting plate 7 in theupwardly directed movement thereof, the articles will not be come infriction contact with the fixed walls. This means, among other things,that the risk for scratching damage on the articles is eliminated.Adjustment of the motors of the driving rolls 20 may be effected indifferent ways, e.g. by means of photocells which read the level of thecontents of the box or by means of weight sensing sensors activating themotors after a given quantity of articles are consumed. The motors ofthe driving rolls 20 may either be single-acting, i.e. drivable in onlyone direction of rotation, or be reversibly drivable. By the existenceof the hole 19 in the fixed bottom 15, 17 of the box, a free airadmission is guaranteed to the space between the bottom and the movablesupporting plate 7. Thus, there is no negative pressure or vacuum on theunderside of the supporting plate 7 in connection with lifting of theplate.

Instead of lifting the supporting plate upwards from a lower startingposition, it is, of course, also conceivable to adjust the supportingplate in an upper starting position and then lower the plate. Such anapplication is particularly suitable when the box shall receive articleswhich are spitted out from a manufacturing machine, in particular whenthe articles are sensible to high heights of fall.

In FIGS. 7 to 13 an embodiment of a box is shown, which may betransported and handled in an easy way, and the volume of which may bereduced in transit and storage.

In the embodiment according to FIGS. 7 to 13, the walls of the outerwall shell and the inner wall shell are connected to each other in pairswhile forming four separate wall units which in FIG. 10 and 11 aregenerally designated 30, 30', 31 and 31'. These wall units are lockablerelative to each other by locking means 32, each one of which beingfoldable in relation to the bottom frame 6. In the embodiment shown eachindividual wall unit 30, 30', 31 and 31' is permanently connected to thebottom frame via a hinge 33 admitting turning of the wall unit betweenan upright and a lying state. By said hinge, each wall unit is connectedto a cross-section-wise L-shaped profile 34, 34' and 35, 35'respectively with a vertical rib 36 and a horizontal rib 37. As may beclearly seen in FIG. 11, the vertical ribs 36 of the different profileshave different heights, involving that the hinges 33 are located atdifferent levels relative to a horizontal plate 38 (see FIG. 13)included in the bottom frame 6. More precisely, the difference in heightbetween the different vertical ribs is mainly as great as the thicknessof the individual wall unit. In this way, it is guaranteed that thedifferent wall units may be folded in and located one above the other inspite of the fact that the upper edges of the wall units are located ina common horizontal plane when the box assumes the open usage positionthereof according to FIG. 10. As may be seen in FIG. 7 and 9, the wallsare folded back in an order where first one and then the other of thetwo gable wall units 31 and 31' is turned down to the bottom frame, andthen the long side wall units 30 and 30' respectively are folded backover the gable wall units.

The two wall plates 4, 10 and 5, 11 respectively which together form aseparate wall unit are in practice stiffly interconnected only along thevertical end edges thereof, more precisely by means of connectingelements which e.g. may consist of cross-section-wise U-shaped sheetprofiles (not shown) having punched fixing lugs driven into the plates.This means that the gap 12 between the wall plates is open at the top aswell as at the bottom, but closed at the opposite ends of the wall unitby means of the connecting elements. It is also conceivable to useagglutinated or nailed borders between the wall plates to unite thesame.

The bottom frame comprises a rectangular collar 39. The long side piecesof said collar consist of prolongations of the outer plates included inthe U-profiles which form the supporting elements 6', particular gableplates being arranged between the long side plates. The height of thecollar 39 above the bottom plate 38 is at least somewhat greater thanthe sum of, on one hand, the height of the L-profile 34' having thehighest vertical rib, and, on the other hand, the thickness of the wallunit 30'. In this way, it is guaranteed that the upper edge of thecollar 39 is located at a somewhat higher level than the hinges 33 ofall four wall units. As is indicated in FIG. 9 and 13, there may, on theinside of the collar 39, be arranged a border 40, the purpose of whichis to at least contribute to the absorbtion of vertical loads beingcharged on the upright wall units.

As seen in FIG. 10, the fabrics are not only arranged in connection withthe inner walls 10 of the long side wall units, but also in connectionwith the inner walls 11 of the gable wall units. The last-mentionedfabrics are in FIG. 10 designated 41. These fabrics 41 are not connectedto any particular driving mechanism but only arranged to accompany thesupporting plate 7 in the vertical movements thereof. For this purpose,the individual fabric 41 has mainly an equally great height as theheight of the gable inner wall 11, a first edge 42 of the fabric beingattached to the supporting plate 7 and extending upwards from the same,while the opposite, second edge 42' is connected to first ends of atleast two mutually separated belts 43, 43' the opposite ends of whichare attached to the supporting plate 7 and extending downwards from thesame. These belts 43, 43' are drawn and run under the appurtenant loweredge of the inner wall. More precisely, the belts are drawn throughslits 44 in the L-profile 35, 35' included in each gable wall unitrespectively. As is indicated by means of double arrows in FIG. 6, thefabrics 41 will thus servilely follow the supporting plate whether thesame moves upwards or downwards.

As is seen in FIG. 7, the covering lid is provided with four angularangle hinges 45 which admit that the position finding of the lid isdecided not only relative to the open walls of the box but also inrelation to the rectangular collar 39. Thus, one and the same lid may beused to cover the contents 8 of the ready-mounted box as well as thewall units which in an inactive state are folded back in the spacedelimited by the collar 39. By the fact that the angle hinges do notonly protrude from the underside of the lid but also a bit away from thetop side of the lid, it is furthermore guaranteed that several foldedboxes may be piled on each other and be reliably held in relation toeach other by lids in the piled state.

In FIG. 14 and 15 an alternative, third embodiment is shown according towhich an extremely thin driving roll 20' is mounted between the outerwall 4' and the inner wall 10' in a long side wall unit. This means thatthe driving roll 20' for the fabric 21 is located at a level above theU-profile which in the embodiment according to FIGS. 7 to 13 extends thewhole way along one long side of the bottom frame. Therefore, in theembodiment according to FIG. 14 an 15, the bottom frame 6 may be madewith three different supporting devices 6" between which there arespaces into which fork arms may be inserted from the long side.

THE ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION

An advantage of the box structure according to the invention is that thebox may be used for storing large quantities of goods having aconsiderable weight and in spite of this allow an easy and smoothlifting of the goods-supporting plate so that the upper level of thecontents of the box may be kept in the vicinity of the top opening ofthe box for the ultimate purpose of making the contents of the boxeasily accessible. Another advantage is that the articles in the box donot run the risk of rubbing against or otherwise moving relative to thestationary walls of the box in connection with the lifting of thesupporting plate. A further advantage is that the fabrics, by theirinherent property of being thin and at the same time strong, occupy anextremely small space along with the inner wall shell, whereby the boxvolume determined by the outer wall shell can be effectively utilized inspite of the possibility of raising and lowering the supporting plate. Apractically valuable advantage is also that the exterior appearance ofthe box does not substantially differentiate from the appearance ofconventional pallet boxes.

FEASIBLE MODIFICATIONS OF THE INVENTION

The invention is not solely restricted to the embodiments described andshown in the drawings. Thus, other supporting components in the innerwall shell may be used instead of whole, unbroken walls. The onlyimportant thing is that the inner wall shell has upper edges which areable to support the fabrics during loading thereof. It is also feasibleto design the two wall shells with another shape than a parallelepipedicone and with another number of walls than four. It is furthermoreconceivable to use other driving mechanisms than motor equipped rollsfor stretching the lifting fabrics. Thus, in simpler embodiments it isfeasible to use manually rotatable rolls. It may also be pointed outthat the edges of the fabrics located in the corners of the box may bemade so that they overlap and cover each other. It is e.g. conceivableto sew on a pleated band on one of the two edge portions of fabric whichmeet in a corner which band covers the other edge portion of fabric. Itis also feasible to make the box with wall units which are detachablyconnected to the bottom frame instead of being permanently connected viahinges thereto.

I claim:
 1. Box for storing and simultaneously exposing small goods,comprising a wall shell (3) which opens upwards in a top opening (29)and is composed of a number of upright walls (4, 5) extending upwardsfrom a bottom frame (6), and a goods-supporting plate (7) beingvertically adjustable between upper and lower end positions relative tothe wall shell, characterized in that there is a second, inner wallshell (9) arranged at a distance inside said wall shell (3), which wallshell (9) is composed of a corresponding number of individual walls (10,11) presenting upper, supporting edge portions (14) located in the areaof the top opening (29) of the outer wall shell (3), and that at leasttwo fabrics (21) are arranged for lifting and level-keeping of thesupporting plate (7), each of which fabric being laid over an upper edgeportion (14) on an inner wall (10) and has a first part (21') extendingbetween said edge portion (14) and the supporting plate (7) as well as asecond part (21") extending between the edge portion (14) and a drivingmechanism (20) in relation to which the fabric may be fed in and outrespectively.
 2. Box according to claim 1, characterized in that thefabric (21) has a width which is mainly as great as the length of theedge portion (14) of the inner wall (10) as well as the length of anedge portion on the supporting plate (7) to which the fabric isconnected.
 3. Box according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that thedriving mechanism consists of a rotatably mounted roll (20) which isdrivable by at least one motor.
 4. Box according to any one of thepreceding claims, characterized in that the outer wall shell (3) as wellas the inner wall shell (9) has a parallelepipedic, basic shape andcomprises two pairs of opposite, mutually parallel walls (4, 5; 10, 11).5. Box according to claim 4, characterized in that fabrics (21, 24, 24')are connected to each one of the four edge portions of the supportingplate (7) and laid over each one of the four inner walls (4, 5; 10, 11).6. Box according to claim 5, characterized in that the supporting plateis composed of two part plates (7', 7") which are interconnected bymeans of screws and that the fabric (21, 24, 24') is connected to thesupporting plate by being squeezed in between the part plates.
 7. Boxaccording to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that thewalls (4, 5; 10, 11) of the outer wall shell (3) and the inner wallshell (9) are connected in pairs while forming separate wall units (30,30'; 31, 31'), which are lockable relative to each other and each onebeing foldable in relation to the bottom frame (6).
 8. Box according toclaim 7 characterized in that the individual wall unit is permanentlyconnected to the bottom frame (6) through a hinge (33) admitting turningof the wall unit between an upright and a lying state.
 9. Box accordingto claim 8, characterized in that the hinges (33) for the different wallunits (30, 30'; 31, 31') are situated at different levels so as to admitfolding of the wall units to lying positions in which one is at leastpartially situated above the other one.
 10. Box according to claim 9,characterized in that each individual wall unit is, through theappurtenant hinge, connected to a cross-section-wise L-shaped profile(34, 34'; 35, 35') having a vertical rib (36) and a horizontal rib (37)which is fastened on the bottom frame, more precisely at one and thesame level, the vertical ribs having different heights so as to locatethe hinges (33) at different levels.